It is a common problem for older males to suffer various inconveniences related to the positioning of the scrotum, and particularly the distance of hang of the scrotum and scrotal sack. When a man is engaged in many activities of daily life, the scrotum can be supported by undergarments such as briefs. In some activities, however, such as using a toilet, undergarment support is not available. In these instances, the increased hang distance of the scrotum experienced by many older men may cause a number of inconveniences, such as unwanted contact between the scrotum and the toilet water or other contents of the toilet.
Some men experiencing undue scrotal hang, particularly due to age, require general age- or condition-related medical treatment that may include assistance going to the bathroom and with hygiene, such as taking showers or baths. For example, some elderly men live in nursing homes, hospice facilities, or other assisted-living facilities in which care providers assist with tasks like going to the bathroom arid taking showers. For men experiencing undue distance of scrotal hang, the unwieldy nature of the hanging scrotum and the increased potential for unwanted contact between the scrotum and the contents of a toilet can make the task of as care provider more dangerous, particularly if the care provider is required to assist with scrotal cleaning after the man has used the toilet. This can also result in serious discomfort to the man whose scrotum is being cleaned.
In some circumstances, a man experiencing undue scrotal hang may, when using the toilet, suffer direct contact between his scrotum and toilet water and its contents, which may include urine, blood, or fecal matter. These undesirable, and often pathogenic, substances must then be cleaned from the scrotum either by the man or by a care provider.
The scrotum is a sensitive part of the male anatomy. The scrotum has thin skin, and contact with the scrotum can be painful. Any method of support for the scrotum must account for its weight, size, and, most of all, sensitivity to touch and to pain.
A number of health-related devices are known to the art to provide scrotal support in the context of health care, particularly when a man is either standing and active, or, alternatively, when he is laying down. When a man is standing or active, it is well known to the art to use a jock-strap type of support, where a sling configured to hold the scrotum is attached to a belt around the man's waist. A number of devices are also known to the art to support the scrotum of a recumbent man. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,710 presents support that functions as a sling to hold the scrotum up during medical analysis and treatment. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0099028 discloses a sling for scrotal support when as male is recumbent, such as when a male patient is sedated or sleeping. U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2004/0199091, similarly, discloses a sling-configuration support device for supporting the scrotum of a recumbent man. U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,202 discloses a profiled block apparatus designed to hold the scrotum in place, again, similarly, when a male patient is recumbent.
There is a need for a device that supports a man's scrotum and prevents undue scrotal hang when the man is seated without other scrotal support, such as when using a toilet. Such a device should support the scrotum sufficiently to prevent it from contacting the toilet water or toilet contents such as urine blood, or feces, should be sufficiently comfortable to accommodate the sensitive scrotum, and, since the device is likely to encounter pathogenic substances like feces, should be disposable or easily cleanable. Still floater, there is a need for a method for supporting male genitalia that does not require the placement of briefs or a support device around the patient's waist.